Pallets, also referred to as skids, carriers, and base pads, have been utilized to store and transport goods for many years. Traditionally, pallets were formed of steel or lumber cut from any of a variety of trees. More recently, less expensive materials have been introduced for formation of pallets including plastics, wood-based composites (e.g., plywood, particle board, etc.), and corrugated paperboard.
There are problems with existing systems. For instance, pallets constructed of steel, wood and wood by-products are ecologically wasteful, heavy, and expensive. Plastic pallet systems are also ecologically wasteful, in that they utilize non-renewable resources. In addition, plastic pallets are often quite heavy and present disposal problems, as they are generally not formed of recyclable materials.
Existing corrugated paperboard pallet systems provide some beneficial characteristics, in that they are generally much lighter than systems formed of other materials, and they are less expensive than other systems, but problems still exist. For instance, most corrugated paperboard pallet systems require some form of attachment material, usually adhesives, to be constructed. Attachment materials can have detrimental effects on recyclability of the pallet as well as increase formation costs. In addition, corrugated paperboard pallets tend to have much lower limits with regard to compressive force able to be withstood. For example, corrugated paperboard pallets can typically withstand compressive forces of approximately 3000 pounds of static compression.
What are needed in the art are improved pallet systems, and in particular, those formed of corrugated paperboard. More specifically, what are needed are pallet systems that can be formed entirely of recyclable materials, can be completely assembled quickly and easily without the need of additional materials for attaching pallet pieces together, can be formed to any desired size, are easily repairable, and can withstand high loads.